HOW TO CHOOSE HARDWOOD FOR YOUR HOME
You’re working through your plan for your upcoming home remodel, breezing through your decisions on lighting and paint colors, but what about flooring? Deciding what style and material of flooring you want for your home renovation is an important factor. It can make a huge impact on the overall design and functionality of your space, and some materials are more ideal than others depending on your family’s lifestyle.
Hardwood flooring is a comfortable, durable, and affordable option to consider for your home. It also offers flexibility with design, as there are a myriad of choices available. However, not every type of wood floor is suitable for everyone, so how do you choose the correct one for your family? First, consider the space you are working with. Will your floors need moisture resistance? What are your design preferences? How often will you feel like maintaining and possibly refinishing your floors?
Here are some things to consider when choosing the right hardwood floors for your home renovation.
What Type of Wood Should You Use?
The first step is to decide between solid or engineered wood flooring. Solid hardwood flooring are planks made from a single, solid piece of wood and is joined with a traditional tongue and groove along the long and short edges. This type of hardwood has a more authentic feel, and is ultimately the better choice for long-term flooring since it can be sanded down and refinished multiple times due to its thickness. The downside of solid hardwood flooring is that it’s going to expand and contract relative to your home’s humidity, so it needs to be installed on the ground floor or above.
Engineered hardwood floors are planks that are multi-layered. They consist of a 100% natural hardwood top layer and a strong core made of pressed layers of plywood. The point of these layers is to prevent the wood from shifting over time. Due to its structure, this type of wood flooring can be installed on all levels of your home, even in bathrooms and basements where moisture could be an issue. The down side, however, is that this type of wood is more difficult to sand down and refinish in the future.
What Level of Durability Do You Need?
There are a few different factors that affect how resistant your hardwood flooring is to scratches, scuffs and water. If you have a busy home with kids and/or pets, you’ll definitely want to look for a hardwood that has greater durability.
One of the main factors that affects durability is the wood species. Some species of wood are harder than others, and thus makes them more durable. A helpful tool to refer to when picking out what species of wood you want for your home is the Janka Scale. The Janka Scale measures the hardness of wood. The harder the wood, the more it will resist day to day wear and tear. Oak is an example of a wood that ranks harder on the Janka Scale and is one of the more popular choices amongst home owners because of its durability and attractiveness.
What Width and Grain Best Matches Your Space?
Since wood comes in so many different styles, you’ll need to decide what will best match your space. Grain pattern is one of the most important factors when it comes to deciding on the design of your floors. Planks of wood will have different grain patterns depending on the way a piece was cut. If a plank of wood is plain sawn, it will have a traditional wood grain look with patterns called cathedrals. This is the most common and most popular grain pattern. Rift-sawn wood is the most expensive option. It has a long and consistent grain but no cathedrals. An option similar to rift is quarter-sawn wood. It also has irregular specs that create a unique pattern.
Board width is also important to consider. Different sizes can accentuate different aesthetics. Going with wider planks can help create a more luxury feel because there will be less seams. However, the wider the plank, the more expensive it will be. For traditional interiors, you could consider hardwood flooring in more narrow widths of 2 ¼ to 3 ¼ inches.
What Type of Finish Should You Get?
The type of finish you go with ultimately decides on the overall appearance of the wood, as well as how you will need to care for and clean your floors. You’ll find that you’ll have to choose between purchasing unfinished or prefinished flooring. Pre-finished flooring, as it sounds, comes to your door already stained and with the top coat applied. Unfinished wood will arrive raw or without any stain or top coat applied. The benefits of going with prefinished wood flooring are getting to see exactly how the floors will look from the beginning and installation will go faster. However, choosing unfinished wood flooring allows for more customization and the ability to match the new planks to existing flooring in your home.
When it comes to the types of finishes for your hardwood floors, most will be considered either an oil finish or polyurethane. Oil finishes create a soft and natural look that has easier maintenance. However, flooring with this type of finish can be more susceptible to stains and scratches. Polyurethane is more durable against wear and tear because it creates a hard top coat over the surface of the wood. However, if your floors do get scratched, it is more difficult to repair, and may require replacing the scratched board or recoating the entire section.
Stains come in different colors and can come in a clear gloss or with a more worn effect.
Should You Consider Cost & Installation?
Yes. Two of the biggest factors to also consider are the cost and installation of your hardwood floors. The cost will vary depending on what type of flooring you go with, as well as type of finish you select, and if you have your wood floors professionally installed. You’ll find that solid prefinished flooring typically costs anywhere from $2.40 to $13 per square foot, and engineered prefinished floors run from $1.70 to $9.
Depending on what wood options you go with, it’s imperative to choose the best method for installation. Installing hardwood flooring can be pretty challenging, so if you’re going the DIY route, make sure you’re aware of any specific instructions so you make sure you install them correctly. Make sure you know if the hardwood you are installing requires placing underlayment. Engineered floors can usually be installed over concrete, soundproofing mats, or radiant heat. Also prepare adequately by making sure you have all of the necessary equipment to do so, like a flooring nailer, drill, pry bar, and saw.
If you are looking to have your hardwood floors professionally installed, it is also important to consider that cost. Using a contractor for installation can take up as much as one third of your flooring costs. Therefore, it’s important to make sure you are spending that money wisely with a good contractor. It would be less than ideal to spend a lot of money on your hardwood, just to have the installation fall short.
In short, there are quite a few attributes to consider when looking to install your hardwood floors. If you are still in need of some more guidance, reach out to the KBUILD team. Our team of expert designers can help you decide on the best style of hardwood to compliment your space perfectly, and our talented craftsmen can execute your installation process seamlessly. Read more about our remodeling process to learn how you can get started.
